Trolley wire support



Sept. 3, 1935. s. s. MATTHES TROLLEY WIRE SUPPORT Filed March 16, 1954VII Inventor SAMUEL SM/177 Patented Sept. 3, 1935 UNITED STATES smearOFFICE TROLLEY WIRE SUPPORT Application March 16, 1934, Serial No.715,935

15 Claims. (Cl. 1914Il) My invention relates to supports for trolleyconductors and particularly to that class of support known as strainears or clamps and particularly for use with grooved or figure 8 trolleywire.

One object of my invention is to provide a clamping device which can beapplied to grooved or figure 8 trolley wire which does not encircle thewire to an extent that it will interfere with the smooth anduninterrupted passage of the current collector as such collectors areoften used upon vehicles of high speed and any obstruction orinterference with the smooth passage of the current collector along thewire may result in damage.

Another object of my invention is to provide a clamp which will grip andinterlock with the trolley wire in such a manner as to prevent relativeslippage between the wire and clamp without affecting the mechanicalstrength of the trolley wire, nor tending to force the wire from theclamp.

Another object of my invention is to incorporate in a single device theabove objects in combination with other features whereby the devicemaybe used for anchoring or dead-ending the trolley wire.

My invention resides in the new and novel construction, combination andrelation of the parts hereinafter described and shown in theaccompanying drawing.

In the drawing:-

Fig. l is a side view in elevation of my invention as applied to agrooved trolley wire- Fig. 2 is an end view of Fig. 1.

Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional views taken on the lines 3-3 and 4-4respectively of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a face view in elevation of the interior face of the strainmember of my invention.

Fig. 61s a top View of Fig. 5.

Fig. '7 is a view in elevation of the interior face of the clampingmember of my invention.

Fig. 8 is a top view of Fig. '7.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view on the line 9-9 of Fig. 1. r

In the preferred embodiment of my invention I employ a strain member Iand a clamping member 2, each provided with lips 3 to engage with thegroove 4 in the trolley wire 5. One of the members as, 'for instance,the member I, has along its upper edge a longitudinally disposed andprojecting tongue 6 which enters a longitudinally disposed groove 1along the upper edge of the other member 2. These cooperating groovesandtongues'hold'themembersland 2 against relative transverse movementthus maintaining the lips in proper alignment.

The member I is shown with a plurality of counterbored oblong openings 8to loosely receive the threaded screw 9.

The member 2 has a corresponding number of threaded openings I6 whichreceive the threaded screw 9. These screws hold the members I and 2 inclamping position upon the trolley wire 5.

The screws 9 have an opening therethru and a transverse slot- I2 and bymeans of which the screws may be operated by a special tool.

The openings 8 in the clamping member I are somewhat larger than thescrew 9 thus permitting slight adjustment of the members I and 2.

The member I is shown as provided with a projecting strain eye I3 havingan opening I4 to receive a rod, pull-01f wire or support, etc.

The member I is also provided with the upwardly and inwardly projectingthreaded bosses I5 having their axes a-a obliquely disposed to the linec--c of the lips 3, also to the axis bb of the trolley wire 5.

Mounted in the threaded bosses I5 are set screws I6 having cup-shapedpoints, one edge of which will bite into the upper surface of thetrolley wire 5 as shown in the broken-away portion of Fig. 1. Thisprovides a sure and positive grip of the device upon the trolley wireand it is found that by properly positioning the axis of the screw Itwith respect to the axis b-b of the trolley wire that there is notendency to push the trolley wire out from between the lips 3 of themembers I and 2 when strain is brought upon the clamp tending to move italong the trolley wire in the direction of the arrow A.

As the distance between the point of the screw and the boss I5 isconsiderable, I form the inside face of the members I and 2 so as toprovide flanges i? which form a backing in close proximity to the screwsI 6 thus supporting the screw and preventing undue yielding thereof.

The clamping member 2 is provided with notches I8 along its upper edgeinto which fit the bosses I5 when the parts are assembled.

The parts I and 2 are provided with grooves I9 axially aligned with theset screws I6 and when the parts are in assembled position the groovesI9 form a passage almost encircling the screw.

In order to install my invention the screws 9 are loosened sufiicientlyto permit the device to be placed upon the trolley wire with the lips 3'positioned in the groove 4. The screws 9 are then tightened up so thatthe members I and 2 will clamp the trolley wire securely. The set screwsiii are then run down and as soon as the edge of the cupped end engageswith the trolley wire 5 it will cut its way into the wire but with verylittle tendency to push the wire out oi the jaws for the reason that theresultant force at right angles to the axis 17-1) of the trolley wirewill not be suficient. I find that it is not necessary to enter thecupped end of the screw into the wire to a very great extent.

Strain or pull-off wires are then passed.

through the opening M and secured in position. The strain upon thepull-off wire will be in the direction of the arrow A and the tendencywill be to move the entire clamp along the trolley wire in the directionof the arrow A.

This movement will be resisted not only by the frictional engagement ofthe clamping members with the trolley wire but particularly by theinterlock of the screws it with the trolley wire. As the tendency forthe clamp to move along the trolley wire increases there will also be aneverincreasing tendency for the metal of the trolley wire immediatelyahead of the cupped end of the screw 16 to turn upwardly and thusactually increase the interlock between the wire and screw.

The force between the wire and screws 96 tending to resist movement ofthe device relative to the wire will be practically parallel to the axisb-b for the reason that I prefer to make the axis of the screw it soinclined to the axis of the trolley wire that the front face iii of thescrew 16 will be substantially at right angles to the axis bb. of thewire 6, thus the resistance between the screw and the trolley wire willpractically be absorbed in resisting movement of the clamp relative tothe wire as the stress tending to force the trolley wire out of thegroove in a transverse or vertical direction will be very small. Thisfeature of my invention is clearly set forth in U. S. Patent 1,912,177.

It will be noted that the strain tending to move the device along thetrolley wire is all applied to the member I and that the member 5 hasseourely attached thereto the screws in and the screws 16 are the partswhich are interlocked with the trolley wire, thus the force from thepull-off wire to the trolley wire is transmitted through practically thesingle member 9 as far as possible.

' The member 2 in combination with the member I provides through themedium of the grooves 19 the passage for the screws 55 and which isbacked up by the parts ll forming a substantially complete stop to beengaged by the screw if there is any tendency for the screwto bendunderstrain.

'While I have shown the'screw it placed at such angle as willpracticallyeliminate any force component transverse to the axis of thetrolley wire, this may be altered by changing the angle between the axesof the screws and the trolley wire.

It is quite apparent that if it is desired to anchor the clamp in bothdirections that it is only necessary to increase the length of themember I and provide strain lugs H3 at each end and provide for one ormore additional set screws, the axes of which will be inclined in theopposite direction to that shown in Fig. 5.

While 'I have shown and described my invention as applied to grooved orfigure 8 trolley wire, it may also be applied to round wire by causingthe lips or jaws to substantially encircle the wire.

If desired, the lug l5 orany number of a plurality of lugs I5 may form apart of the clamping member 2.

The lower face 2| of the lug 15 will engage with the upper face 22 ofthe notch l8 if there is a tendency for the member I to move relative tothe member 2 under stress and thus the members will act more as a unit,the lug i5 being in'effect interlocked with the member 2. I

There will be modifications to the disclosure herein made which will beevident to those skilled in the art, therefore, I wish to be limitedonly by my claims.

I claim:

1. A trolley wire support comprising a pair of clamping members eachhaving a lip to engage and grip the trolley wire, means to move themembers into and hold them in engagement with the wire, a part grooveobliquely disposed along the inner surface of each member and the saidpart groove cooperating to form apassage to receive a set screw, atransverse notch in the edge of one member into which the part groove inthat member opens and an overhanging lug on the other member whichenters the said notch, the lug having a threaded opening with its axiscorresponding to the oblique axis of the said passage and a cup pointedset screw mounted in the opening and passage to engage and interlockwith the trolley wire and a strain attachment on the member providedwith the lug.

2. A trolley wire support comprising a pair of elongated members eachhaving a lip along its lower edge to engage and grip the trolley wire,means to hold the members in secure engagement with the wire, a groovealong the inner face of each member and cooperating to form a passage,the axis of the passage being obliquely disposed to the line of thelips, one member having a lug projecting over the said passage andhaving a threaded opening the axis of which corresponds to the axis ofthe passage, a threaded fasteningdevice mounted in the passageandopening and movable into locking engagement with the trolley wire andmeans at one end of the member provided with the lug to secure thesupport to an attachment.

3. A trolley wire. device comprising a pair of elongated members eachhaving a lip along its lower longitudinal edge to engage and grip thewire, means to hold the members in position on the wire, a groove in theinner face of each member cooperating to form a passage having an axisobliquely disposed to theline of the lips, a.

notch in one member at the upper. endo-i the passage and a lug ontheother member projecting into the notch, a threaded opening in the lugand its axis coinciding with that of the 'passage and a set sore-wmounted in the opening to engage and lock with the wire to oppose thedevice moving on the wirein one direction.

4. A trolley wire device comprising a pair of clamping members havinglips forming a longi tudinal groove to receive and grip the trolleywire, threaded means to hold the members in position on the wire, aplurality of pairs of 00- operating grooves in the inner faceof eachmemher and each pair forminga passage to receive a set screw with itsaxis obliquely disposed to the longitudinal axis of said longitudinalgroove, a

projecting lug from either of themembers over-' hanging each passage anda threaded opening in the lug with its axis corresponding to that of thepassage, a set screw'mounted in each opening and extending through thepassage and adapted to interlock with the trolley wire to preventrelative movement of the device and wire in one direction and means tomake an attachment to one member.

5. A trolley wire device comprising a pair of elongated members eachhaving a lip forming a groove to receive and grip a trolley wire, meansto clamp the members on the wire, a groove in the inner face of eachmember cooperating to form a passage with an axis obliquely disposed tothe line of said lips, a lug on one member projecting over the othermember and having a threaded opening in line with the oblique axis ofthe passage, a set screw mounted in the opening and extending throughthe passage to engage with the trolley wire, the walls on one side ofthe passage forming a support to prevent the set screw bending when astress is applied to the screw tending to move it along the wire andmeans to form a connection to one of the members.

6. A trolley wire clamp comprising a pair of elongated members and eachhaving a lip cooperating together to grip the trolley wire, means tomove the members into clamping engagement with the wire, a transversepassage through the center of the clamp and part of the passage formedby a groove in the inner faces of each member, means forming part of onemember overlapping the other member and a threaded opening through thesaid means and disposed opposite one end of the passage, a set screwmounted in the opening and extending into the passage and arranged tohave its inner end engage with and lock with the trolley wire to resistthe clamp slipping over the wire in a longitudinal direction and meanson one member to receive attachments to the clamp.

'7. A trolley wire clamp comprising a pair of clamping members eachhaving a lip cooperating to grip the trolley wire, means to hold themembers in clamping engagement with the wire, a passage through theclamp and part of the passage formed by a groove in the inner face ofeach member, means forming part of one of the members positioned at oneend of the passage and having a threaded opening, a set screw positionedin the opening and extending into the passage and arranged to have oneend interlock with the trolley wire to resist slipping of the clamp onthe wire and means for attachment to the clamp.

8. A trolley wire clamp comprising a pair of elongated clamping membersand lips along the lower edge of the members to form a groove to receivea trolley wire, means to move the members into clamping engagement withthe wire, means on one member interlocked with means on the other memberto resist longitudinal relative movement of the members, one of saidmeans provided with a threaded opening, a set screw mounted in saidopening and extending through the clamp and between the inner faces ofthe members and arranged to have its end interlock with the wire toresist slippage of the clamp along the wire and means to receive anattachment to the clamp.

9. A trolley wire clamp comprising a pair of elongated clamping membersand lips along the lower edge of the members to form a groove to receivea trolley wire, means to move the members into clamping engagement withthe wire, means on one member interlocked with means on the other memberto resist longitudinal relative movement of the members, one of saidmeans provided with a threaded opening, a set screw mounted in saidopening and extending through the clamp and between the inner faces ofthe members and arranged to have its end interlock with the wire toresist slippage of the clamp along the wire, an elongated passagebetween the members and formed by a groove in the inner face of eachmember and in which passage a part of the set screw is positioned.

10. A clamping member comprising a body having one or more openings toreceive clamping means, one or more laterally projecting lugs, eachhaving a threaded opening to receive a set screw arranged to engage atrolley wire, a lip along one edge to engage the wire to grip the same.

11. A clamping member comprising a body having one or more openings toreceive clamping means, one or more laterally projecting lugs, eachhaving a threaded opening to receive a set screw arranged to engage atrolley wire, a lip along one edge to engage the wire to grip the sameand a groove in one face of the body forming part of a passage intowhich the set screw extends.

12. A clamping member comprising a body having one or more openings toreceive clamping means, one or more laterally projecting lugs, eachhaving a threaded opening to receive a set screw arranged to engage atrolley wire, a lip along one edge of engage the wire to grip the same,the axis of the opening being obliquely disposed to the line of the lip.

13. A clamping member comprising a body having one or more openings toreceive clamping means, one or more laterally projecting lugs, eachhaving a threaded opening to receive a set screw arranged to engage atrolley wire, a lip along one edge to engage the wire to grip the sameand means by which an attachment may be made to the member.

14. A clamping member comprising a body having one or more openings toreceive clamping means, one or more out out portions to receive a lug ona companion body, a lip along one edge to engage the wire to grip thesame and a groove in one face of the body forming a part of a passagefor a set screw secured to the companion body, the groove beingobliquely disposed to the said lip.

15. A trolley wire device comprising a'pair of clamping members havingmeans to grip a wire in slidable relation thereto, means to hold themembers clamped to the wire, a cupped set screw with a cutting edge andhaving its cupped end arranged to interlock with the wire, the innersurface of the cup adjacent the said edge being substantially normal tothe axis of the wire and a lug projecting from one member in overlappingrelation to the other member and having a threaded opening in which theset screw is mounted and means for attachment to the device.

SAMUEL S. MATTHES.

